Display rack



Sept. 19, 1939. P. J. BAUER 2,173,152

DISPLAY RACK Filed May 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 I7 27 2 i -33 a H II 69' l 6 2 v 8 v II I I K 2 1 //1 v/ I, j J za. ,8 32 6' -43 4 1 l2 INVENTOR Phil/p; 5056/. BY

ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1939. P. J. BAUER 2,173,152

. DISPLAY RACK Filed May 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Pei/)0 J. 56?

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to racks for displaying merchandise, particularly canned goods and similarly packaged articles, and has for its principal objects to provide a rack construction for supporting cans at an inclined angle; and to provide a rack that is readily adjusted to accommodate cans of different sizes.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a skeleton rack that is adapted to be knocked down and readily assembled to form a strong, rigid, light-weight structure of attractive appearance; to provide the rack with can supporting rails having pin ends that are engageable in any one of a series of apertures in the rack to vary the spacing for cans of different diameter; and to provide a rack that may be used individually or with similar racks arranged in rows to form a system of shelving.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display rack constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a Vertical cross-section through the rack. 1

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through-the rack on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the removable can supporting rails.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of portions of the rack, particularly illustrating the apertured flanged members for selectively positioning the can supporting rails.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a display rack constructed in accordance with the present invention and which includes a skeleton frame comprising end members 2 and 3. The end members 2 and 3 are of identical construction and each includes legs 4 and 5 preferably formed of a single angle having one flange 6 notched at its center, as at l, and bent on the other flange 8, as at 9, to form downwardly and outwardly diverging leg portions In and H, which extend along the sides of the display portions of the rack and terminate in vertical leg portions l2 and I3. The leg portions I2 and I3 are connected at a point spaced above their lower end by connecting members 14, secured to the flanges 6 by fastening devices, such as bolts 15. The end frames are arranged relatively to each other so that the flanges 9 are direct d w y e s metime at the pex f the frame by horizontal angle members l6 and ll and at a point adjacent the lower ends of the diverging portions l0 and II with angle members I8 and IS.

The angle members |6--l1 and l8l9 have their ends overlying the flanges and rigidly secured thereto by fastening devices, such as bolts 20. The flanges l6-I1 and l8l9 are thus arranged so that their free flanges 2| and 22 extend outwardly to cooperate with the flanges 6 to form substantially inclined rectangular shaped frames forming inclined display sites 23.

The outwardly directed flanges 22 of the lower angle members constitute ledge-like shelves for supportingly engaging the articles to be displayed, such as canned goods 24. The cans 24 are arranged on end so that the bottom of the lower can rests upon the flanges 22, and the bottoms of the cans in the upper rows rest upon the tops of the cans in the next lower rows, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In order to support the cans with their axes at an inclined angle within the respective sides, I provide can supporting rails 25 which are illustrated in Fig. 4 as comprising T-shaped structural members of sufiicient length so that when they are arranged in parallel relation with inclined portions of the side frames, the lower ends 26 abut against the flanges 22 and their upper ends seatingly engage on flanges 21 of the upper members l6 and I! as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The base or head flanges 28 of the T-shaped rails are provided at their upper ends with laterally extending pins 29, and the lateral or web flange 30 is provided at its opposite end with a pin 3| projecting from the end thereof as shown in Fig. 4. The flanges 22 of the lower members l8 and I9, and the flanges 2'! of the upper members I 6 and H, are provided with a series of aligning apertures 32 and 33 extending along the length thereof to selectively receive the respective pins of the can supporting rails as shown in Fig. 2. The base flanges 28 of the T-shaped rails cooperate with each other and with the inwardly directed flanges B of the end frames to form can supporting seats therebetween for the respective rows of cans which are kept in slightly spaced relation by the Webs 30 of the respective rails, as shown in Fig. 3.

With the structure thus described it is obvious that the can supporting rails may be located in selective apertures to vary the spaces therebetween in accordance with the diameters of the cans to be carried in the rack as shown in Fig. 3.

If cans of the same diameter are to be inserted on the respective sides of the rack, the pins of the can supporting rails are mounted in the equally spaced openings as shown, however, with the structure illustrated adjacent rows of large and small cans may be arranged on the same side of the rack by spacing the can supporting rails accordingly, the rails being in sufficient number to provide supports for the number of cans required to fill the rack.

The display rack may be shipped knocked down and readily assembled by connecting the angle members l6l1 and I8-l 9 with their end frames by inserting the fastening devices 26. The can supporting rails are then inserted so that the pins 3| on the lower ends engage within the apertures 32 of the shelf-like ledge whereupon the upper ends of the rails are moved into seating engagement with the fianges 21 of the upper angles l6 and I! so that the pins 29 thereon enter aligning apertures therein, the rails, of course, being spaced according to the diameter of the cans to be inserted. The cans are then applied so that the ends are in abutting engagement, with the bottom of the lower can resting directly upon the ledge-like shelves of the lower angle members as clearly shown in Fig. l and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When thus supported the cans are retained with-their labels in a position where they are most prominent and attractive to prospective customers.

The racks assembled as described may be used individually for store or sidewalk displays, or they may be arranged in rows to form a system of shelving, such as used in the present day selfservice stores.

What I claim and desire to secure by" Letters Patent is:

l. A display rack including an open frame having an upper transverse member providedwith a series of apertures and arranged to form a rest,

a lower transverse member having similar series of apertures and arranged to form a shelf positioned at substantially right angles to the plane of the rest, means spacing said members to maintain a fixed relationship between the respective series of apertures, a plurality of laterally adjustable article supporting rails having their upper ends supported on said rest and their lower ends abutted against said shelf, said rails having article engaging side portions located at right angles to the shelf, and pins fixed to the respective ends of said rails and engageable with selected apertures of the respective series upon placement of the rails on said transverse members for preventing lateral movement of said rails under weight of a tier of articles when seated on said shelf with their sides supported by said side portions.

2. A display rack including an open frame having an upper transverse member forming a rest provided with a series of apertures, a lower transversely extending angle member having one flange thereof forming a shelf at substantially right angles to the plane of said rest and the other flange depending therefrom to enhance rigidity of said shelf, said flange forming the shelf having a plurality of apertures spaced relatively to the apertures in the upper transverse member, means spacing said members to maintain a fixed relationship therebetween, a plurality of laterally adjustable article supporting rails having their upper ends supported upon said rest and their lower ends abutting against said shelf flange, said rails being of T-shaped cross-section to provide laterally extending article supporting flanges and a separating flange, and pins projecting respectively from the rest engaging faces and the abutting ends of said rails for preventing lateral movement of said rails when a tier of articles is seated on said shelf flange with sides thereof supported by the lateral flanges of adjacent rails.

PHILIP J. BAUER. 

